Reversing gearing for clothes wringers



Dec. 30, 1924.v

G. E. RANDLES mavERsING GEARING FOR CLOTHES WRINGERS Filed May 27, 1924v "Patented Der. 3o, 1924.

` uruTED STATES A 1,520,881 PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. RANDLES, F (.1LIIsTELAN'D;v OHIO, -ASSIGNOB TO THE OO'IE-B'III'R'I.` COM- PANY, A. CORPORATION 0F OHIO.

B'ETERlIIiI'G' GEARING FOR WRINGERS.

' `Application led Hay 27,

To all whom z't may conce-m.'

Be it knownQ that I, GEORGE E. RANDLES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, county of Cuyahoga, State of v `wringers suchas are used in connection with power driven washing machines, and especially to the reversing mechanism for such able the wringer rol wringers which is rovided in order to'fens to be operated in either direction.

The object of my invention is to provide 'an improved reversing gearing for a wringer which gearing is simple in structure, comprises few parts so it may be manufactured at a low cost, is'easy to assemble, and is small and compact.

Y For a consideration of what I believe to be novel and my invention attention is dil 1partly in section of a wringer provided with a reversing gearing embodying my invention, and Fig. 2 is a perspective on a larger scale of the gearin Referring to the rawing, 1 .indicates generally a wringer which may of any suitable type. The rolls of the wringer are shown at 2, the drainboardat 3, and the two gear wheels which connect the wringer rolls together at 4. The bearings for the wringer roll shafts 5 are indicated at 6. The shaft 6 of the lower roll projects beyond its gear wheel 4 and is provided with a rectan lar end 7 which enters a rectangular openlng 8 in acouplingmember or sleeve 9.

At 10 is indicated a gear casing o r gear box. It comprises a top 11, a bottom wall` casing is apartition wall 18 provided with a bearing 19 in which is mounted a stub shaft 20 which carries a crown gear wheel 21. At its inner end shaft 2O is provided with a rectangular tongue 22 which enters a rectangular opening 23-1n coupling member 1924. Serial No. 716,253.

9. Coupling member 9 thus serves to connect the crown gear wheel 21 to the lower wringer rollshaft 5|. The front end of casing 11 is closed by a cover plate 24v held in place by screws 25. l

In thef'topjwall 11 of the casing is an open'- ing 26 in which is mounted a bearing bushing 27 held in position by a` projection on the end of upper screw which enters an opening 28 in the bearing bushing.' On the lower wall 12 of the casing is a sleeve 29 provided with a bearing portion 30 in line with bearing bushing 27 and a socket 31 vwhich lits over a statlonary tube 32 l.and on tube 32 for holding the wringer in the desired adjusted positions. Tube 32 may be one of the-frame tubes of a washing machine or other suitable supporting element. In tube 32 is a wringer drivin shaft 33 driven from the motor of the washing machine (not shown). For egrample, the arrangement shown in my application Sr.A No. 591,400, filed ,September 29,'1922 may be used. `The upper end of driving shaft 33 is provided with a rectangular end 34 which `fits into a rectangular coupling sleeve 35;

Mounted in bearings 27 and 30 is a vertical shaft 36 on which are two iixed pinions 37 and 38 adapted to mesh with crowngear wheel 21. As will be lnoted kpinions 37 and 38 are mounted within the confines of crown gearl21. When shaft 36 is moved upward fromv neutral position pinion 37 1s brought into 'inesh with crown gear wheel 21 and .when shaft 36 is moved downward from neutral'position pinion 38 is brought into mesh withj crown gear wheel'21. The lower end of shaft 36 is provided with a squared end 39 which fits into the upper end of couphng sleeve 35 to connect shaft 36 to driving shaft 33. In the side of shaft 36 at its upper end is a groove 40 which forms a passage for the escape of air from the end of the bearing bushing.

Engaging shaft 36 and pinions 37 and 38 is a shifterblock 41 comprlsing a front wall 42 from which project upper and lower forks 43 and 44 which surround shaft 36 at opposite ends of the pinions and a central fork 45 which fits between the pinions. Wall 42 has forwardly projecting H anges 46 which engage and slide upon the inner face of cover plate 24 and in the central flange is, a transverse slot "47 in which is located a short pin 48 eccentrically mounted on a disk 49. Disk 49 is carried on the inner end of shafty 50 pivotally mounted'in an opening in cover plate 24, the disk being located in a recess in the cover plate so its outer surface is ushwith the inner surface of the cover plate. the outer end of shaft 50 is detachably astened a handle 51 for turning shaft 50 yto move the shifter block up and down. Handle 51 may be detachably fastened to shaft 50 by screwing its end into a threaded socket in the shaft and fastening it with a set screw 52 as shown in Fig. 1.

The extent of the movement of the shifter block by the eccentric pin 48 is limited by the pin striking the end of slot 47, the slot being of a length to permit of the desired throw in each direction. When handle 51-is in vertical position as shown in Fig. 1, the

lmoved backward from the -position shown infFig. 1, shifter block 41 is lowered to bring pinion 38 into engagement with gear wheel 21.' In this case the weight of the parts serves to hold the' gearing in mesh. rlhe central forks 45 are made sufficiently long so that they engage the' face of pinion 21 and thus serve when'V the gearing is assembled to hold the crown gear and its shaft 20 in position. rlhe opening 26 in which bearing bushing ,27 is mounted is large enough so that pinions 37 and 38can slide through it'. ln assembling the gearing, the crowngear wheel 21 is put into place by inserting shaft 2Q into bearing 19 after which shaft 36 with pinions 37 and 38 thereon is assed down through opening 26 to bring t e lower end of the shaft into bearing 29. The bearing bushing 27 is then put into position. *Following this the shifter block 41 is put into position after which cover plate 24, upon which previously has been assembled the shaft 5t) and handle 51, is put into position with pin 48 in slot 47, and fastened by screws 25, the. upper screw serving to fasten bushing 27 in position by reason of its end engaging in opening 28. During the assembliii g and before thev cover plate is put inte position, a suitable supply of grease may be put into the casing. rlhus it will be seen thatthe cover plate serves to hold the entire gearing assem led since it directly engages the shifter block which in turn engages the .other means.

crown gear wheel holding it against the face of partition wall 18 which, as shown in Fig.

1, has a forwardly projecting finished surface against which the back of the gear rests. rlhe shifter block 41 serves to hold the pin- 70 ions 37 and 38 and shaft 36 in neutral position with the pinions within the confines of the teeth of gear wheel 21.

Ylhe cover and eccentric form a 'unit which is easily assembled by inserting shaft 50 into the bearing opening in cover plate 24 and fastening handle 51 in place, the handle serving to hold the parts in assembled position.

With the above-described arrangement, it will be seen that the gearing can be easily and quickly assembled andl also easily and quickly dismantled. Furthermore, it comprises a minimum number of parts to be manufactured, all of which are simple in structure. rThis means that it can be manufactured at a low cost.

rlhe construction is also small and compact and in this connection l regard the use of a crown gear wheel as being one important feature of my improved construction since it permits of the pinions being mounted within the confines of the gearwheel so that they require no additional space. Also the use of a crown gear wheel permits of the pinions being assembled by being inserted axially into position as already explained. Because of this, the casing can be made all in one piece, and still leave the assembling of the gearing a very simple matter.

The' gearing forms a complete unit in itself which is easily attached to the wringer frame by the screws 16, at the same time being attached to lower wringer shaft 5 by coupling 9 bysimply inserting the shaft 1105 ends into the openings in the ends of the coupling.

When assembled, the middle flange 46 on the shifter block holds disk 49 in the recess in cover plate 24 so as to keep shaft 5() in 1110 position with handle 51 spaced away from the cover plate. lt will thus be seen that by having the shifter block`slide between the cover plate and the crown gear wheel and in engagement with both of them, it serves M5 to hold all the Imoving parts in correct relation to each other.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have described the principle of operation of my invention, t-oi gether with the apparatus which l now con-y Sider to represent the best embodiment thereof, but l desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative and that the invention may be carried out by 325 What li claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. lln a wringer, the combination of 'a Casing, a crown gear wheel journalcd in a R3@ lus wall of the casing, a shaft whichl extends parallel to the face of thecrown gear wheel, pinion means on the shaft located within the confines of the crown gear wheel, a shifter block for said pinion shaft, said block having apart which engages the face of the crown gear wheel to hold it in its bearing, and means'for moving the shifter block to bring the .pinion means into engagementv with the crown gear wheel.

2. lIn a wringery, the combination of a casing having a rear wall and an open front,A

by the cover plate for engaging'and moving` the shifter block.

3. In awringer, the combination of a casing having a rear wall and an open front, a forwardly-facing gear wheel journaled in saidrear wall, a shaft whichLn extends parallel to the face of said gear wheel and is jour naled )in the top and bottom walls of said casing, Said shaft being movable axially in its bearing, pinion members xed on said shaft and adapted. to mesh with said gear wheel, a shifter block in the casing engaging said pinions and shaft, said block having a part for engagement with the surface of said gear wheel, a cover plate for the casing, said cover plate engaging the shifter block to hold it in position, and means carried by the cover plate formoving the shifter..block.

4. In a wringer, the combination of a casing comprising a surrounding wall and an open front, a crown gear wheel journaled in the casing, a shaftpini0ns on the shaft adapted tov mesh with the crown gear wheel, an opening in the surrounding wall of the casing through which said shaft and pinions may be inserted into the casing, a bearing a shifter block for the shaft, a cover plate for the open front of the casing, and means carried .by the cover plate for moving the shifter block.

45. ln a wringer, the combinationfof a gear casing, a wall in the casing, a crown gear wheel journaled in said wall, a shaft which is journaled in walls of the casing and extends narallel to the face of the crown gear wheel, pinion means on said shaft, said pinion means being located within the confines of the crown gear wheel, and means for moving said pinion means into and out of mesh with said cro-wn gear wheel.

6.- In a wringer, the combination of a casing having 'an open front, a gear wheel journaled in the casing and connected to the wringer rolls, a shaft journaled in walls of the casing, pinion. means on the shaft, a shifter block for moving the pinion means into and out of engagement with the gear wheel, a cover plate for the open front of the casing, and means/J' our-naled in the cover plate for moving the shifter block, said means including an eccentric pin and slot connection.

7. In a wringer, the combination of a casing i having an open front, a gear wheel journaled in the casing and connected to the wringer rolls, a shaft journaled in walls of the casing, pinion means on the shaft, a shifter block forw moving the pinion means into and out of engagement with the gear wheel, said shifter block having a slot therein, a cover plate for theopen front of the casing, and an eccentric pin carriedvby the cover plate and engaging said slot for moving the shifter block.

8. In a clothes wringer, the combination of a casing having an open front, a gear wheel, journaled therein and facing toward the',open front, pinions for engaging said gear wheel, a cover plate for said open front, a shifter block for the pinions held between the cover plate and said gear wheel, and vmeans for moving the shifter block.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto setmy hand this 23rd day of May, 1924.

GEORGE E. RANDLES. 

